Just as the news of the return of the the historic Leiden/Anaimangalam copper plates of Rajendra Chola I from Leiden University in the Netherlands to India hit the headlines, the Dravidianist ecosystem began getting busy claiming credit for it.
DMK Rajya Sabha MP NR Elango shared a video of his earlier statement in the upper house regarding the Chola-era Leiden (Anaimangalam) copper plates as well as the Pandya-era Velvikudi plates.
— N R Elango (@nrelango_dmk) May 16, 2026
Supporting his claim, separatist Thirumurugan Gandhi shared ‘proof’ of the unstarred question from November 2024. Gandhi claimed, “They are now running false propaganda claiming that it was Modi who brought back the Anaimangalam copper plates from the time of Rajendra Chola I, which were preserved at Leiden University in the Netherlands, to India. But it was actually N. R. Elango, Rajya Sabha MP of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, who consistently raised his voice in Parliament about the importance of these copper plates and the need to bring them back to India, thereby drawing the attention of the Modi government to the issue. I have shared his parliamentary speech. His demand did not stop there. He also urged the government to bring back the “Velvikudi Copper Plates” from the London archives — Pandya-era copper plates dating back to 769–770 CE during the reign of Nedunjadaiyan Varaguna Pandiyan. The Modi government has retrieved only the Chola-era copper plates from Leiden University because it suits the RSS-style “Akhand Bharat” narrative they seek to build using Chola history. But they have shown no interest in recovering the Pandya-era copper plates, which are among the oldest surviving Tamil copper plate inscriptions predating the Chola period. It was N. R. Elango who raised questions in Parliament as early as 2024 regarding the retrieval of these Pandya copper plates as well. It is only because of his sustained pressure that these copper plates have now reached India. He is the one who deserves appreciation for this effort. Instead, propaganda is being spread claiming that they were recovered because of Modi’s foreign visit. The Sanghis, who push Hindi through the three-language policy and display hostility toward Tamil language and Tamil identity, did not recover these copper plates out of concern for Tamil heritage. We must strengthen our pressure keeping in mind that the Velvikudi copper plates lying in London could provide us with invaluable historical information. Most importantly, both the Chola and Pandya copper plates must immediately be sent to Tamil Nadu. Neither the Cholas nor the Pandyas fought for the dream called India. This history belongs to the Tamils, and has nothing to do with the Brahminical-Indian combine. The Sangh Parivar has no legitimacy to appropriate and claim ownership over it.”
நெதர்லாந்து நாட்டின் லெய்டன் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் உள்ள இராஜேந்திரசோழன் காலத்து ஆனைமங்கல செப்பேடுகளை இந்தியாவிற்கு கொண்டு வந்தவர் மோடி என பொய்-விளம்பரத்தைச் செய்துகொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள். ஆனால், இந்த செப்பேடுகளின் முக்கியத்துவம் குறித்தும், அதை இந்தியா கொண்டு வந்து சேர்க்கும் பணி… https://t.co/DNi2VZylWh pic.twitter.com/XE7VPidCrs
— thirumurugan gandhi (@thiruja2009) May 17, 2026
However, documents from the Union government show that the Modi administration had already initiated the international restitution process for the Leiden plates months before Elango raised the issue in Parliament.
Two Different Copper Plates, One Political Narrative
At the centre of the controversy are two separate sets of historically important Tamil copper plate inscriptions that are now being politically mixed together.
The first are the famous Leiden or Anaimangalam copper plates from the reign of Rajendra Chola I, preserved for decades in Leiden University. These are the plates that have now been formally returned to India.
The second are the far older Velvikudi copper plates from the Pandya period, associated with Nedunjadayan Varaguna Pandiyan and currently housed in London. These have not been returned and, according to government records, no active repatriation proposal existed for them as of late 2024.
Dravidianist narratives seems to have merged these two separate issues in order to create the impression that the Modi government acted only after DMK pressure.
Government Records Show Process Began Before Elango’s Intervention
The strongest contradiction to the current Dravidianist claim comes from Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 347 answered by the Ministry of Culture.
On 28 November 2024, NR Elango asked the Union government about efforts to retrieve both the Leiden Chola plates and the Velvikudi Pandya plates.
However, the government’s written reply explicitly states that the Leiden issue had already been raised at the UNESCO Inter-Governmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property on 30 May 2024.
சரியாக படிக்காமல் உண்மையை அப்படியே ஆதாரத்துடன் பகிர்ந்துவிட்டார்,
திமுக எம்பி @nrelango_dmk இளங்கோ அவர்கள் கேள்வி கேட்டது 28.11.24
அதற்கு பதில் அளித்த மத்திய அரசு 30.05.2024 அன்றே நெதர்லாந்து அரசிடம் கோரிக்கை வைக்கபட்டதாக உறுதி செய்துள்ளது.ஆக, மத்திய அரசு முயற்சி எடுத்து… https://t.co/r5WiDtVlte
— Selva Kumar (@Selvakumar_IN) May 17, 2026
This timeline is politically significant because it establishes that the Government of India had already formally initiated the international process for retrieving the Leiden plates nearly six months before Elango’s parliamentary intervention.
In the same reply, the Ministry also clarified that no proposal for repatriation of the Velvikudi plates was under consideration at that point.
The official record therefore directly contradicts the social media narrative claiming that “only because Elango raised the issue” did the Modi government begin efforts to retrieve the plates.
Dutch Institutional Process Played Central Role
The return of the Leiden plates was also linked to developments within the Netherlands itself rather than being solely triggered by domestic Tamil Nadu political pressure.
According to Leiden University’s own statements, the restitution process followed recommendations by the Netherlands’ Colonial Collections Committee, which advised unconditional return of certain colonial-era artefacts.
Subsequent negotiations involving Leiden University, Dutch authorities and the Government of India eventually led to the formal handover.
The Ministry of External Affairs later confirmed that the plates were officially handed over in the presence of Narendra Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten during Modi’s Netherlands visit.
Dravidianists Push Political Narratives
If the question is who started the Leiden restitution process, the answer, on the state’s own documentation, is the Government of India acting by May 2024, not a November 2024 parliamentary question. Elango’s role is that of a late but vocal participant – significant in political messaging, but not the origin point the current Dravidianist propaganda suggests.
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
